(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best horror graphic novels

Easy, just get him a Zombie survival guide from Dymocks/Kinokuniya. What you have to watch out for is that you don't get him a shit one, of which there are many. IMO, The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks is the best one out there. If he hasn't read it, World War Z also by Max Brooks is excellent reading. It's not so much a guide as a collection of individual recounts, reports and stuff from different people over the course of a zombie breakout. It reads realistically which is more than I can say for the majority of Zombie related "survival guides" and books that are just stupid. They're making a movie out of it with Brad Pitt starring - just to show it's popularity.

If he hasn't seen The Walking Dead, getting him the seasons on DVD might be a good idea. Awesome TV show - again, realistic. If he's seen them, don't bother. I mean, he can just download them anyway so I guess this would be a crap gift unless he really likes the show. There are graphic novels that the show is based on which might be good.

If he's a gamer, might be good to get him ARMA II: Combined Operations. The reason I say that there's a great zombie survival mod for it called Day Z which is basically an online multiplayer open-world zombie survival like game. Trust me, he'll like it. Steam summer sale is on right now so ARMA II is 20% - if you can wait, don't buy it yet as it may go on sale for more (possibly up to 75%) if it goes up as a daily deal/flash sale/community choice. There's also a The Walking Dead game which I've heard is good. It's already been a daily deal so 25% is as good as it will get now.

Last of all, making him a kit might be cool. I put together this for a redditor last year. You can probably make a better one than me - I'll admit I cheaped out a little. Get a box or a backpack (you can cheap out on the backpack) and fill it up with things like a flashlight, a med kit (bandaids, bandages, surgical scissors, sports tape etc. things you can buy from a pharmacy), water purification tablets (this especially adds to it IMO), food (canned, power bars or, if you want to go the extra mile, MREs), thick army socks, a compass, etc. Basically just shit you'd take with you if you were going camping. Make it as compact/lightweight as possible.


Well, fuck, that turned out to be a lot longer than I intended. Anyway, good luck.

EDIT: Oh yeah, one more thing. What I did for that same redditor last year was that I wrote a survival plan for him. Basically, if you get him that Max Brooks Survival Guide, one of the things they suggest is hiding out in a prison (fortification, food, water, exercise yard, accommodation, weapons, remote etc.) - what I did was that I researched prisons in the walkable/bikable vicinity of his house and I mapped out routes to them from his house on a map I printed of his house from google maps.

No. You can't really be until you've already made it big huge. Most writers (traditional publishing, no clue about modern e-books) don't make much money at all so it pretty much always has to start as a passion.

I don't know about GRRM but I've heard Rothfuss speak about it before. He nearly put out the 2nd book with the Adem section completely hand-waved away until his Editor told him to miss his deadline and write it well (gods I hope I didn't misremember that). Couple that with his personal stuff, his charity, and passion for other writing (kids' books) and the delay makes more sense.

The cure for waiting for writers is to simply read more. There's a ton of great stories out there. For fantasy I'd recommend N. K. Jemisin and for lighter Sci-fi I'd recommend John Scalzi. As well as the others above. It's also super easy to get with ebooks at your libraries and using Overdrive.

Just saw this post, here's one that seems very, very silly but is actually well done: Batman: Vampire

Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. Batman faces off against Dracula, and minor spoiler, ends up becoming a vampire. But if you have a chance to pick it up, I highly recommend you do so, because it really does work with the whole Batman mythos. Think about it, the whole "noble vampire, must fight against giving into the bloodlust" theme that has been done very well in other strives fits perfectly with the ever-present "Batman doesn't kill because he doesn't want to cross the line" theme we see in a lot of Batman stories

Give it a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised. Although a side note, it was originally published as three different books, and you'll miss some of the emotional content if you just dive straight from start to finish without pausing between books

I have and love the following that you might also enjoy.

• The Beauty of Horror: I really dig the art style in this book, and it does a really great job at making disgusting things look pretty. And it's super fun to colour.
  
  
• I Hate Fairyland: This is one of my favourite comics of the last several years, but it's still great even if you haven't read it. The elevator pitch is that Gert wished to visit Fairyland when she was a little girl, but she's still there 30 years later (and hasn't aged physically at all) and fucking hates it. The fantasy elements are really great and there's plenty of gore to colour.
  
  
• Call of Cthulhu: If you're a fan of Lovecraft, this one is really great.
  
  
• Dragon Wings and Wild Things: The paper in this one isn't the greatest, but I really do love the dragon illustrations

This is a great thread. Treat yo'self!

1. I'm resilient. I've overcome a number of obstacles to make it to this point in my career and the age of 40 including anxiety, ADHD, depression, and things under the umbrella of "difficult childhood." I still have a ways to go but at least I'm still on the path.
   
   
2. I'm empathetic and am generally a kind and considerate person. Sometimes I have an arsehole moment but hey-I'm only human. Of flesh and blood I'm made.
   
   
3. Though not as defined as they were six months ago, my biceps are pretty defined for someone my size.
   
   There are quite a few things on my list that fit the bill, one being The Beauty of Horror coloring book. Focusing on controlling the fingers while coloring helps alleviate stress and shift thoughts in a positive direction.
   
   I hope the party was fantastic!

It's really good. It doesn't have everything in the novel(that would be impossible), and is more fast paced, but in my opinion it is worth it. The best part is that you can get each set of comics in about 6(or 5?) volumes, and they come with these really cool extras such as maps of the characters journeys(which is one of the greatest parts, you actually get to see where the characters live in Boulder, CO, which is fun to google based on the map provided), insight from the artists, unused art for the adaptation, and see the detail put into the art in recreating places like NY. What I did is buy them used off of amazon, because you can get them cheap and hardcover.Here is number one of the Volumes
The only thing I didn't really like about them is that they didn't make Larry the blond/ginger that (I think)he was in the book(isn't his beard described as reddish blond?):( I also didn't like the way Randal Flagg looked. I think that they are better than the miniseries and much gorier. It is based on the unabridged version btw

Okay, so there's two comics that are in progress that I'm absolutely in love with and recommend to everyone I can. The first is The Unwritten which is written by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. The reason I mention their names is because after you read Sandman, you want to read their follow-up series that they wrote about Lucifer, which is by far, one of the best comics out there. But I digress. They're some of the best writers out there and they've come up with this AMAZING story that's not exactly what you expect it to be. Something akin to Harry Potter in this world takes off, selling millions of books in the series until the author disappears. His son, Tommy Taylor, shares his name with the main character in these books and continues on with his dad's publicity stunts, even if he rather dislikes the stories and the fact people associate him with the wizard. Until one day, a woman insists that he's the boy wizard grown up...which is somewhat driven home when the main character's pet flying cat shows up...and he starts meeting other literary creatures, like Frankenstein's Creature. He slowly gets tied up in this world his father created that might not be as fake as he thought, while trying to get to the bottom of not only his own existence, but perhaps the world's as well.

I picked up this book mainly because of the writers for it, but I have yet to be disappointed in a volume. It always entertains and keeps you on the edge of your seat with what might just happen. And the parallels between this Harry Potter-esque character and his real-life counterpart are close but distant, so you never truly know what's going to happen next. It's engaging and the characters are wonderfully fleshed out (such as the Hermione equivalent, the Ron equivalent that gets bitten by a vampire, the Voldemort like character, the man who's hunting them all down to murder them, etc.) and the story makes you doubt everything (in a good way) as to what's just part of the story his father wrote, and what's really 'real life' in this comic book. The art is engaging and ridiculously on point with various real locations throughout the world, but does well to keep the fantasy between the book excerpts and 'real life.'

My favorite parts in the comic are the ones that Tommy interacts and discussions life with Frankenstein's Creature, how it explores not only what is a monster, but what exactly is reality if you're created into reality. Are you still a figment? Are you a real creature? Can you still be controlled? It's definitely different and keeps you hooked. I LOVE these sort of stories, that make you doubt the reality of the character's canon, and with all the literary ties it has (in our world as well) but it makes you wonder about the barrier between our world and fiction. UGH, there's only so many words I can use for this comic, but it's really freaking amazing.

My favorite character in comics has become Lucifer from Sandman. He's developed into this interesting character rather than the normal BLOOD AND BRIMSTONE AND PUNISHMENT AND EVIL that most people seem fond of throwing him into. He's literally pushed and molded into the role he plays in the world, and he begins to doubt what truly is free will or God's will. He's still selfish at times and he doesn't help people unless it benefits him, don't get me wrong. But he's truly a sympathetic character that makes you wonder about what choices are truly ours and what's in "God's plan" in the long run. Plus, he also just flips a table, says fuck it, leaves hell and opens a bar in LA. How awesome is that? :D

[And if I may make a second suggestion, read Locke and Key if you like any sort of horror that's lovecraftian but not. It's only five volumes right now, with the sixth being released in February, but that gives you plenty of time to catch up!]

LIST INCOMING:

I'm so in love with this range of books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Botanicum-Welcome-Museum-Kathy-Willis/dp/1783703946

I guess they're kids books but the illustrations are just beautiful and I actually got the postcard set for the botanical illustrations, and I'm going to have them framed for my house. I adore plant illustrations in this style.

Another one I love is: https://www.amazon.com/Resurrectionist-Lost-Work-Spencer-Black/dp/1594746168

The story is a bit average but the illustrations are so cool, I love anatomical illustrations and mythical beasts.

These two are also amazing: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Why-How-Illustrate-Mysteries/dp/1452108226 and https://www.amazon.com/Who-What-When-Illustrate-Sidekicks/dp/1452128278/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1452128278&pd_rd_r=RRYE5GWH9BWS2TPVV31X&pd_rd_w=K7qR6&pd_rd_wg=Mxunj&psc=1&refRID=RRYE5GWH9BWS2TPVV31X

I totally cried my eyes out over this one: https://www.amazon.com/Radioactive-Marie-Pierre-Curie-Fallout/dp/0061351326

And the illustrations are just so beautiful. Her story is just tragic and she was so brilliant.

If you wanna cry for a couple of years, this one: https://www.amazon.com/Laika-Nick-Abadzis/dp/1596431016

I guess not strictly about the science but there's a good amount of space related information and science tangential stuff, and its just such a beautiful book that I couldn't not recommend it. The final page is basically seared onto my memory forever :c

I'm utterly obsessed with this book: https://www.amazon.com/Sick-Rose-Disease-Medical-Illustration/dp/1938922409

ITS SO INTERESTING, its mostly medical diagrams and descriptions (I obviously have an aesthetic).

>How accurate does this look to everyone? Anything that should be added

That's the major bulk order. There are others but those are the ones worth reading that actually matter to the overall story line.

>Is there a best/nicest way to purchase these? (i.e: Library Collections, Paperback Volumes, other varied collections)

I would recommend the library edition volumes to be honest. They have a good sturdiness to them and a nice separation between volumes. However, I would recommend getting Angel:After the fall slipcase edition, which in most cases (depending on where bought from) works out cheaper and looks nicer. The slipcase edition contains all of Angel: After the fall.

Hey, welcome to /r/comicbooks! This is definitely the place to ask any questions you have about comics!

I think you've got a pretty good list there. Here's a few more of my personal favorites that I think would fit in well with the kind of comics you want:

• Astro City vol. 1: Life in the Big City by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
  
• Hellboy vol. 1 by Mike Mignola and John Byrne
  
• Grendel vol. 1 by Matt Wagner
  
• Planetary vol. 1 by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday
  
• Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
  
• Justice League of America: Year One by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson
  
• Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity by Matt Wagner
  
  And these are some books that I think will be good for people who have liked the various comic book movies of the last decade:
  
  
  
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting
  
• Iron Man: The Five Nightmares by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca
  
• Thor: The God Butcher by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic
  
• Avengers: Endless Wartime by Warren Ellis and Mike McKone
  
• Avengers Assemble: Science Bros. by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Stefano Caselli
  
• Spider-Man: Family Business by Mark Waid and Gabrielle Dell'Otto
  
• Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 1 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Paul Pelletier
  
• Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid and Leinil Yu
  
• Batman: The Man Who Laughs by Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke

There's two trades of classic LoSH by Paul Levitz that are good. Legion of Super Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga and Legion of Super-Heroes: The Curse. The Great Darkness Saga is one of the all-time Legion classic tales. Be aware that it's a very early-80s narrator heavy comic, though.

Mark Waid also had a good run on a Legion of Super-Heroes reboot (sometimes referred to as the threeboot -- LoSH continuity is a clusterfuck) a few years ago.

The New 52 books weren't very good imo. Hopefully Rebirth is taking them back to the original continuity. Or even some variant of the threeboot continuity.

The first place I would start is at the beginning. Most if not all can be purchased on Comixology for less than the physical copies, if you have a tablet.

This is the first three Aliens comic series that were done by Dark Horse Comics:

Aliens Omnibus Vol 1

• These are probably some of the best aliens books written.
  
  The Aliens vs Predator books are the next best.
  
  Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus, Vol. 1
  
• This is the original Aliens vs Predator series. It includes the three stories that were published in Dark Horse Presents and is 100% better than either of the movies that were made.
  
  The Predator comics are probably the weakest of the comics in my opinion. The first few series are in this book:
  
  Predator Omnibus Volume 1
  
  Unlike Marvel or DC, these Omnibuses are published in release order, so the next series are found in volume 2 of the title comics.
  
  If you want the first Aliens series in a collectible format, the 30th Anniversary hard cover is good. It is a reprint of the original series in the original format. Some names were changed in the comics after Alien^3 was released. Those changes are not present in the hardcover and its in the original black and white.
  Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comics Series
  
  From what I can tell on Amazon. Anything listed as "The Complete Omnibus" are actually novelizations of the comic books. If you are looking for the comics, I would avoid those titles.

Cheer up, buttercup!

This is an oldie but one of my favs!

The next walking dead issue would be awesome!

Edit: Or I just added hemp stuff for my pugger bc found out today he has contact allergies. He's looking pretty naked.

Thanks for the contest!

The first arc of Trees by Warren Ellis has several LGBT characters, including some trans folk. I thought it was pretty interesting. It's collected here.

Also, Kaptara isn't out yet - the first issue is next month - but the main character is gay. Obviously it's not out yet, but I like the creators quite a bit.

As far as Batwoman, the Pre-New52 arc was much better than the New 52 stories, imo. It can be found here. Greg Rucka is a much better writer than JH Williams III and co.

Which reminds me, Gotham Central by Rucka and Brubaker features a LGBT lead character. And it's really good. One of the story arc deals with the characters sexual orientation being outted.

I'm a huge Stephen King fan and love what Marvel has done with The Dark Tower and with The Stand. Either of those would be an excellent journey to start. :)

Here's the response a gave in the /r/Hellblazer a couple weeks ago: "I'd read The Saga of the Swamp, mostly just because it is amazing, first, and it is his original introduction. But if you just wanna jump right into John's stories I would say the best techniques is to jump on to the run of the writer you like best. If you are familiar with comics, especially vertigo comics, at all you will be familiar with many of the creators including Jamie Delano, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Mike Carey, Brian Azzerello, and Pete Milligan among many others. There are also short runs from other famous writers such as; Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Jason Aaron, and more, that are worth checking out.
If everything else I said is meaningless to you. I would most readily recommend Mike Carey and Garth Ennis' runs. Here are the Ennis Trades (6 or 7 are my favorite, but they must be read in order: http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Dangerous-Edition/dp/1401238025/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1414271898&sr=8-6&keywords=hellblazer
http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Vol-Bloodlines/dp/1401240437/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1414271898&sr=8-8&keywords=hellblazer
http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Vol-Tainted/dp/1401243037/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1414271898&sr=8-7&keywords=hellblazer
http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Vol-Graphic/dp/1401247490/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1414271898&sr=8-9&keywords=hellblazer
Here are the Carey Ones (they can be read in any order All His Engines is particularly a stand alone graphic novel - My favorite is The Red Sepulchre):
http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Red-Sepulchre/dp/1401204856/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1414272092&sr=8-4&keywords=hellblazer+carey
http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Stations-Cross/dp/1401210023/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1414272092&sr=8-3&keywords=hellblazer+carey
http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Reasons-Cheerful/dp/1401212514/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414272092&sr=8-1&keywords=hellblazer+carey
http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-All-Engines/dp/1401203175/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1414272092&sr=8-6&keywords=hellblazer+carey "

Trees Vol. 1 by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1632152703/ref=crt_ewc_title_gw_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

"Ten years after they landed. All over the world. And they did nothing, standing on the surface of the Earth like trees, exerting their silent pressure on the world, as if there were no-one here and nothing under foot. Ten years since we learned that there is intelligent life in the universe, but that they did not recognize us as intelligent or alive."

I've been collecting loads of Image books for several years now, but I don't think anything tops Trees for me. The story focuses on the way different characters and communities around the world react to the "trees" being ever-present forces in their lives. Wonderful characterization, high-concept comics at their best.

I'm currently reading graphic novelizations of H.P. Lovecraft's works. They're awesome.

Yes, such a thing exists. [1] [2]

All time favorites:

• Batman (especially Knightfall)
  
• Anything by Alan Moore (especially Watchmen)
  
• The Preacher
  
• Fables
  
• Hellblazer and Lucifer
  
• Thanos saga (Infinity Gauntlet, etc)
  
• Most Frank Miller stuff
  
• Marvel's Oz (they are graphic novelizing L. Frank Baum's Oz books and they're surprisingly book-accurate)
  
  You're reading From Hell. So... see ya in 2016 when you finish it.

Check out most anything off the Vertigo imprint. Some amazingly good stuff. A great jumping-on point would be HELLBLAZER: ALL HIS ENGINES

A nice, tight, self-contained story where you get introduced to all the main characters, the world, and the general formula for the series.

Plus Leonardo Manco's artwork is fantastic.

The Great Darkness Saga - Quite possibly the best Legion story ever.

Legionnaires - The start of the post-Zero Hour rebooted Legion.

Legion Lost - Not the New52 series. This is a personal favorite of mine.

Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes - The original Legion is back.

Here you go, friend.

Lovecraft Anthology Vol 1 and 2 adapt several of Lovecraft's stories in comic book form

And INJ Culbard has also adapted several of Lovecraft's stories in comic book form

Charles Dexter Ward

At The Mountains of Madness

The Shadow Out of Time

They're all very faithfully done and that's a HUGE chunk of the body of Lovecraft's work.

Enjoy.

Are you looking for the actual issues or a trade? Because the Batman: Vampire trade collects those three stories. While it's technically out of print, there are still new copies available for about $20 (cover price) and some used ones available for less.

Check local book stores as well. I bought my trade copy from a local used book store for $8, in excellent shape. And the book store my friend owns had a copy in great shape for $10 until this weekend when they sold it.

So Captain America has an ongoing comic right now which you can probably get the jump on. The first trade (#1 - #5) is here: http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Vol-Castaway-Dimension/dp/0785168265 you can probably find it at a local comic book shop or ask them to order it in for you. Then you can go and read the next one up until the individual comics and collect those or wait.


The movie (if you liked it and would like to read it - though the movie was not a direct adaption) was based off The Winter Soldier storyline by Ed Brubaker. http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Soldier-Ed-Brubaker/dp/0785187944/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396755272&sr=1-2&keywords=captain+america+the+winter+soldier is a link to it. Once again, you can order it off of Amazon or check your local comic book store to see what they have.


What I would recommend personally is Thor: God of Thunder. It is very well done and follows the story of three Thor's across three different timelines. http://www.amazon.com/Thor-God-Thunder-Vol-Butcher/dp/0785168427/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396755402&sr=1-3&keywords=Thor+god+of+thunder

The Batman vs Dracula is an awesome animated film from a great universe/show that bucked a lot of traditional Batman norms. I love it. But the Vampire trilogy is so, so much more.

There are three books with individual stories written as a 3 part arc, all under the same creative team. Rhat team, by the way, was the legendary pairing of Doug Moench as writer and Kelly Jones as artist. They created the entire Knightfall event and half, in my opinion, the best run on the book post-1990 and before Hush and NML, since I can't remember exactly when those were published.

The books are titled Red Rain, Bloodstorm, And Crimson Mist, if that give a you any idea of what you're in for. If it's still too little to lure you in, I'll give you a sample of some of the insane shit that happens in this trilogy:

Insane violence. Joker taking over a vampire coven without turning into one. Buckets of viscera. Dozens of notable characters dying. Beheadings. INSANE hyper-exaggerated art by the end of the series that 100% fits and never felt out of place (to me). If it were a film trilogy, the first two would be a hard R, and Crimson Mist would be NC-17.

You said you were 13 in another comment, right? I was 13 when I read Batman - Red Rain and it was really influential on me. I cannot recommend this trilogy highly enough.

Note: If you like the art/story, Moench and Jones' run (sans one inexplicably missing issue) is available as a TPB. Volume 1 is OOP and about $100 used, volume 2 is available now.

EDIT: Here's some links for those interested.

Batman - Vampire (TBP)

Batman by Moench and Jones, vol. 1

Batman by Moench and Jones, vol. 2

These are really widely known, but for completion of the Moench/Jones run I'm gonna post them anyway.

Batman - Knightfall omnibus vol. 1

Batman - Knightfall omnibus vol. 2

Batman - Knightfall omnibus vol. 3

For completion's sake. Support local comic shops whenever possible.

From the ones I saw in store, yes. Though my gut says to stick to hard copies of publications like “The Horror World of Junji Ito” , which are also called the Kyoufu collection.
There’s 6 volumes, the first two are Tomie, and the last two are souichi stories, but 3 and 4 are all standalone stories.
Their titles are “Flesh colored Horror” and “The Face Burglar.” It’s also worth noting that many smaller series such as dissolving classroom or Frankenstein often get their own smaller volumes due to popularity, so you won’t find them in compilations.


Here’s a link to FCH:
https://www.amazon.com/Flesh-Colored-Horror-Junji-Ito/dp/1588990869

I couldn’t find The Face Burglar, but here’s some other compilations:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1421580799/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B2AMESRZ2SJ42PC9MN48&dpPl=1&dpID=61y%2Bw5lco0L

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1593076398/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B2AMESRZ2SJ42PC9MN48&dpPl=1&dpID=51JHr9n3MIL


I hope this helps! Sorry if this is too much ^_^”

There are a number of different batman new 52 titles. The one titled "Batman" is just a general Batman title and is the main story.
"Batman Detective Comics" embraces more of the detective side of Batman as he solves cases.
"Batman and..." has Batman teaming up with someone to take down different bad guys with a partner.

The other Bat family titles are just individual characters. While sometimes Batman will be featured in those stories, he is not the prominent figure there.

As for Death of the Family, just reading the "Batman" title will give you the full story. The tie ins are nice but you don't really need them to get the full story. Mostly it's just one or two issues alluding to what's happening. If you want you can get [Death of the Family] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Joker-Death-Family-New/dp/140124646X/) which will give you all the tie ins. Personally, I didn't get it and didn't find it necessary.

The best Batman title is the one you're reading, "Batman". The quality however, is very good on all of them, so I would recommend all three I mentioned above.

I realised it would probably be helpful to put Amazon links or something, so you can visualise the versions I am talking about.

> So I wouldn't have to read Night of the Owls to understand the other two owl ones?

That's correct. Court of Owls collects #1-7 of New 52 Batman. Cite of Owls collects New 52 Batman #8-12 and Batman annual #1. That's the main story. Night of the Owls collects Batman #8-11, Nightwing #8-9, All Star Western #9, Catwoman #9, Batgirl #9, Batman- Dark Knight #9, Batman and Robin #9, Birds of Prey #9, Red Hood and the Outlaws #9. So as you can see, it collects a lot of the main Batman story, but not all. But it also collects a lot of other chapters that aren't really needed to get the complete story, just additional extras of varying quality.

> But if it has some relevance when should I read it?

Basically, as Night of Owls goes, they invented new Talons for each of the other Batfamily members to fight. These Talons had not shown up previously, nor do they show up again, so Night of Owls is of little to no consequence to the main Batman story. I guess given that it was written at the start of a new reboot, it gave readers a good chance to test what each of the other characters feel like, in case readers wanted to branch out, but if you were interested in other characters, there are much better stories of theirs to read, and the tie ins are usually not all that great anyway. So, it has little relevance, and don't feel like you need to read it at all, unless you absolutely wanted to. But I wouldn't really recommend it, having done the same as a new reader myself.

As for the Joker stories, be very careful of the wording. The post-crisis story is A Death In the Family, (collecting the pre-New 25 Batman #426-429, a completely different numbering system, given that it's a completely differnt continuity). New 52 is Death of the Family (no "A", and collecting New 52 Batman #13-17. As you can see, it follows on from the numbering from the above Owls arc). To read the full story, you only need the Batman one. The Joker: Death of the Family edition collects Detective Comics 16-17, Catwoman 13-14, Batgirl 14-16, Red Hood and the Outlaws 15-16, Teen Titans 15, Nightwing 15-16, Batman and Robin 15-17, Batman 13, 17; & material from Detective Comics 15, Suicide Squad 14-15, Batgirl 13, Red Hood and the Outlaws 13-14, Teen Titans 14, 16; Nightwing 14, & Batman 14. So it collects some of the necessary material in Batman # 13, some of #14 and batman #17, but not the whole arc, hence why some of the scenes may have looked familiar. And again, it comes packaged with a whole lot more that once again you don't need. Where Night of the Owls invented a new Talon for each of the Batfamily members, J:DotF had Joker instead build a separate death trap for each of the Batfamily members. It's not really needed again, just another sample of other Gotham related characters and writers. So I don't know if I would describe the extra material as "missing" content, because it's not essential to understanding the Batman arc, just "extra" material, if you were interested.

In answer to your other comment (I'll just keep it here):

> Also why wouldn't you recommend a death in the family? just curious!

It's just not a good story in general. Everyone acts like it's so important to the Batmythos, but the title and cover give away anything you really need to know. For specifics, Joker goes overseas and gains diplomatic immunity, in it is really not all that socially or politically aware/correct in its portrayal of this. Joker also feels kind of dissonant to his modern portrayals too, rather than being the smart, manipulative and terrifying villain from say New 52, instead his just some grinning idiot wearing silly costumes, a lot of his plan make no sense, and his jokes don't really land. And the plot has a lot of "go over here, now go over there" and feels like it's just being pushed along to its ending, rather than having a reason to explore the territory that it does. Basically, if you were going to spend your money, there are much better comics to spend your money on.

> Also what books after the Death of the family have the Joker in it? Do most of them to an extent?

So, the next two arcs in New 52 Batman are set in the past/Batman's origin, being Zero Year. The first arc, Secret City, has Batman encounter Red Hood, who there is ambiguity about, but is basically Joker before he became the Joker. Dark City is a Riddler villain arc. Volume 6, Graveyard shift, I believe collects odd chapters, so it's not an arc per se, but contains a few side issues of Batman. The next proper appearance of Joker after Death of the Family would be Endgame. I haven't read past Zero Year myself, though I don't believe he shows up in Superheavy, Bloom or Epilogue in any major sense (he may briefly appear though, I'm not sure). After Epilogue, DC Rebooted again into the Rebirth continuity. There Joker is seen in The War of Jokes and Riddles (set after Zero Year and Before Court of Owls), and a few more times throughout King's run, (which I didn't follow too far), like appearing in the arc before the wedding, and again in City of Bane, etc.

> Also I wanted to get Endgame, but there's also a Joker and a Batman one, do I get both? Are they the same story but different sides?

So, Batman: Endgame contains Batman #35-40. Joker Endgame contains THE JOKER: ENDGAME collects the ancillary tales of Gotham City as it plays his endgame with it from the pages of BATMAN #35-40, ARKHAM MANOR: ENDGAME #1, BATGIRL: ENDGAME #1, BATMAN ANNUAL #3, DETECTIVE COMICS: ENDGAME #1, and GOTHAM ACADEMY: ENDGAME #1. This is one of the rare times where the alternate edition actually does collect the whole story, rather than just bits and pieces, so you could buy either version and get the complete story. The Joker edition once again involves other Gotham related characters and their association to the Endgame event. Some people say the extra chapters in the Joker version are distracting, but at least it has everything there, and you can read it however you want.

> Sorry I'm really confused about the Joker vs Batman versions

No doubt, haha. Dc was pretty confusing in their marketing of these products. I feel they definitely could have been more clearer about what each title/trade was in respect to the story proper versus tie ins. But on the other hand, they know if they slap an extra "Batman"/"Joker" on the title, people are going to be more likely to buy it than if it were just "Death of the Family, the tie ins".

> Sorry I'm just really confused, like I don't know what comics include what and what they overlap.

That's all right, you can always ask and people will be happy to help! It may also help to look into what issue numbers are contained in whatever trade/collection it is you own/buy/read. Most often writers will keep stories contained to the one title, so it's just a matter of following the issue number (there are exceptions though).

I hope this answer helps!

The entire Death of the Family run is amazing. I loved every single issue of it.

Going along with that,

Batman and Robin New 52 run was GLORIOUS!!

Part 2 of B&R

Part 3 of B&R. I loved this arc because of who Robin is and it just gives me all the feeeelssssss

Mr. Freeze is my favorite villain and he actually has some good moments.

By far the best Mr. Freeze stories aren't comics at all, but episodes of Batman: the Animated Series: "Heart of Ice" was written by Paul Dini and set the fundamental origin of Mr. Freeze. Check it out here, episode 14.

Paul Dini also wrote a graphic novel (I don't know if it's standalone or not) called Mr. Freeze. It's kind of hard to find off the net, and I've never read it, but how bad could Dini on Freeze be? :)

Mr. Freeze is one of the villains in Loeb/Sale's Dark Victory, the sequel to Long Halloween. He is very visually interesting in the story, but not the main villain.

There was a miniseries told within Legends of the Dark Knight, I think it went for 3-5 issues or something, called Batman: Snow. It's been collected since.

In the New 52, Snyder and Capullo did Mr. Freeze in Batman Annual #1, rebooting his origin. It was pretty good, but I have problems with his new look. That issue is collected in Volume 2 of Snyder and Capullo's Batman series, The City of Owls.

Freeze was also the main villain in one of Batman: Dark Knight villain month issues, though I didn't read it.

Hope that helps!

P.S. Speaking of Loeb/Sale, they also did a graphic novel called Haunted Knight, which focuses mainly on Scarecrow and Mad Hatter. I don't know if you've ever read any Loeb/Sale team ups, but they're consistently awesome.

The Ressurrectionist - It is a fake biography of a medical researcher trying to prove that mythological creatures are actually within the ability of human DNA. The way it is presented is what makes it great. Seems like a really well researched biography with journals and articles. Also, it contains a really well done medical journal of the character's research.

Are you talking about this one?

Wouldn't it be cheaper to go for the hardcover books simply because it covers more issues?

Thanks for helping out anyways. :)

Well, for starters: https://www.amazon.com/Predator-Omnibus-1-v/dp/1593077327


Dark Horse has pumped out a few dozen Predator stories, most of them are collected in the omnibus books (four volumes). Some of the crossovers are great too! Batman vs Predator is one of my favorites.

There's a pretty good Batman trilogy: Haunted Knight, The Long Halloween, and Dark Victory. It has more of the Gotham crime families in two of them, which is interesting. Also, I liked Frank Miller's Batman: Year One a lot.

If you also like graphic novels that aren't really "comics", I recommend Asterios Polyp (a man examines his life and a failing relationship through architecture and design), Maus I and II (a story about a Jewish family in the holocaust depicted as mice) and Persepolis (a memoir of a woman who grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution).

And by all means, for sure, read the Sandman books.

There are also nice hardcovers for each individual arc, but the Masters Edition is a better buy price wise.

Actually I think there's like ten, there's well over 100 comics and 4 books probably doesn't cover it all

actually yeah if you scroll down it looks like there are more!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Walking-Dead-Book-5/dp/1607061716/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MVMVCAWF91SXPEBMYB7

I hope you enjoy it! Here are some of my favorites that I prefer over the Frank Miller stuff:

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (These are my favorites, lots of stuff taken from these in The Dark Knight film):

The Long Halloween

Dark Victory

Haunted Knight


Others:

The Killing Joke (You simply must read this one)

Batman and Son

Identity Crisis (Haven't read this one yet, but the plot sounds awesome!)

Non-Batman stuff:

Maximum Carnage (My first graphic novel that someone gave to me. It's spectacular!)

Watchmen

Hush is often regarded as one of the best Batman trades out there, so you're off to a good start.

Here's a rough list of other books you might enjoy, all widly embraced by fans of Batman while staying with a darker tone similar to Hush.

• Batman: Year One
  
• Batman: The Long Halloween
  
• Batman: Dark Victory
  
• Batman: The Killing Joke
  
• Batman: Haunted Knight
  
• Batman: A Death in the Family
  
• Arkham Asylum
  
• JLA: Tower of Babel
  
  I''d also suggest reading Identity Crisis. Batman isn't the only character of the story, and while he doesn't make many appearances when he does he certainly makes an impact. Lastly, Gotham Central is also a great read, but it focuses on the GCPD MCU rather than on Batman himself, and how they deal with supervillains and working in a city with a masked vigilante.
  
  Hope this helps.

Doubt there's too much difference in weight, but for each clean, relatively effort free slice I get with a katana, you'll be taking 2 or 3 full force slogs to beat in their skulls.

Fingers crossed we never haver to fight for more than a few minutes at a time. But when the whole worlds covered in zombies you never know. Have a read of World War Z or the Walking Dead for reference if you haven't already. They might just save your life.

Yup the first 4 are the only ones that really matter, the rest are just extra context or fun stories that don't really matter. I recommend getting Volumes 1-4 The Spike Tie-in and spikes own series After that start reading Buffy season 8, then Season 9 and Angel and Faith.

While the 2 spike books arnt written by Joss he commissioned Brian to write them for him so they do matter!

Except the Wall isn't meant to keep wildling out, it's meant to keep the White Walkers out. So it compares even more poorly. It'd be like if Hadrian's Wall was meant for the purpose described for it in the graphic novel The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, which was to protect against a wave of zombies, not it's likely real world purposes of customs control and protection from barbarian raiders and invaders.

"The Great Darkness Saga" is pretty much the go-to for reboot Legion

This is not a big thing but it would be awesome for a horror fan. https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Horror-GOREgeous-Coloring-Book/dp/1631407287/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1542611754&sr=8-5&keywords=horror

Theres a series of them. Search amazon for the beauty of horror. I'm actually thinking about these for myself now!

Prequel might not be entirely accurate.

Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks is a graphic novel that has multiple stories about zombie encounters throughout history. I love it but it's a graphic novel not an actual novel so saying it is a prequel isn't entirely accurate but is kind of accurate.

Since the shield variant is still on amazon was hoping someone here had the other one.
My trade list only has various marvel premiere classic x-men hardcovers.

Missing Cat Diary, Flesh Colored Horror, and probably some others. Also, wow, I have a copy of FCH from Book-Off that I feel like I paid maybe a dollar for 10 years ago. Quite a come-up.

Absolutely helped.

I think you would maybe enjoy:

• Locke & Key
  
• Scalped
  
• Uncanny X-Force
  
• American Vampire
  
• Wolverine: Old Man Logan
  
• Ultimate Spider-Man

No, you can get them all online via the Pirate Bay, but you can buy them on amazon.com and a pretty reasonable price. They ship really fast too, if you have prime!

Go get volume 20 part 1! $8.97 on Amazon Prime :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1607068826?pc_redir=1395987827&robot_redir=1

Batman: Haunted Knight is a pretty gorgeous trio of Batman Halloween specials from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. I remember that when I was around eight, I got a copy of the third story, Ghosts, and I read and reread that sucker so many times. Should be relatively kid friendly, if a little spooky.

This Batman trade paperback.

As the wise /u/Anitaxjffdskjarizard once said, "All roads lead to Batman", and here's how.

Squeaky hammer > Harley > Joker > Batman

Since you've got Batman & Dracula there, may I recommend to you the whole trilogy? Also available are trades of Batman: Bloodstorm (Part 2) and Batman: Red Mist (Part 3).

amazon yes

https://www.amazon.com/Flesh-Colored-Horror-Junji-Ito/dp/1588990869

https://www.amazon.com/Museum-Terror-Vol-Junji-Ito/dp/1593076398/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=museum+of+terror&qid=1563487476&s=books&sr=1-3

If you're studying medical stuff, you might be interested in The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth. It's half novel and half Grey's Anatomy-style drawings of weird creatures.

After you finish compendium 2, this is what you want next (All Amazon links):

Volume 17

Volume 18

Volume 19

Volume 20

Volume 21 will likely publish in the summer sometime.

EDIT: I was right! Vol 21 was announced today to publish July 23.

Right, basically some of these rely on pre New-52 continuity until stated otherwise. All volumes referred to below will be New 52 unless otherwise stated. That being said...

11-7 years ago: The Zero Year storyline by Scott Snyder currently running throughout the Batman title had a series of backups detailing Bruce's training (in current continuity). This is covered in Batman Vol 4.

Also see Batman and Robin Vol 1 which I believe covers Bruce's Ninja training, though only in flashbacks.

6 Years Ago: You're in luck for this one. The current, in continuity take on Batman's first year is being told in the current Batman title. It's a 12 part story called Zero Year, dealing with Bruce crafting the persona, meeting the Red Hood, Riddler etc. It's in progress at the moment and well worth a look. The volume referred to above is the first part, and the entire storyline has great art by Greg Capullo.

6 Years Ago: Batman's first encounter with the Justice League is found, naturally enough in Justice League Vol 1.

However, Superman and Batman's first encounter was detailed in, again naturally enough, Batman/Superman Vol 1

Dick Grayson's time as Robin can be found in the zero issue of Nightwing.

4 Years Ago: Batgirl's zero issue.

3 Years ago: I'm actually kind of week on this one in current continuity. Jason's death and return are here.

2 Years Ago: Read Tim Drake's new, bad origin in Teen Titans #0 or the most recent issue of Secret Origin, I think it was #3. They both tell roughly the same story. That story is bad.

1 year ago: Going to have to go out of continuity, as I'm nearly sure the founding of Batman Inc. is only covered in the pre New-52, as part of Grant Morissons Bat saga. The first volume is here, but you really need to look up everything else that preceded it, see below. This also goes for dead Batman being replaced by Dick Grayson, which is recounted in Batman and Robin, first series, Vol 1.

The origin of Damien, however, is handily recounted in Batman and Robin #0. This is in New 52 continuity.

Now: Woo! Nearly there. Breathe. So the Court of Owls story basically starts in Batman #1 pretty much, and can be found here.

Batgirl's return to superheroics can be found here, in Batgirl Vol 1. Barbara is still only just reacclimating to life as Batgirl as the series begins.

Joker removes his face in, maybe one panel or so in Detective Comics #1.. Spoiler, issue's shit. Get Snyder Batman instead.

Joker returns, sans face in Batman Vol 3, Death of The Family.. That link contains only the main story told in Batman, but it tied into several Bat-Titles as well. The HC contains these, though the quality varies a bit, IMO.

Tim forms the Teen Titans in Teen Titans Vol 1.

Again, not sure, but I think the Anti-Fear stuff was in Dark Knight.

Happy Reading!

NANANANANANANANA BAT-EDIT: I am by no means a Batman authority, I read nearly all of these, but feel free to correct or append if you are more knowledgeable. Bonus sassy batman

You take the easy way out, and read these.

They come in single issues, trade paperbacks and books. The single issues will take forever to collect, the trade paperbacks is in 13 volumes at the moment, and the books are at 6 volumes, each spanning about 300 pages.

Unless you really need another heavy object around the house, stay away from the books.

just pick up volume 1 and go from there. I prefer to read digital on my tablet or laptop because it's a lot cheaper and instant gratification (Here on comixology for $4.99 http://www.comixology.com/Locke-Key-Welcome-To-Lovecraft-Vol-1/comics-series/3344) but if you prefer a physical copy amazon has a decent price on it ($16.49 http://www.amazon.com/Locke-Key-Vol-Welcome-Lovecraft/dp/1600102379)

I read Brans: A Zombie Memoir last summer. It was amusing.

I'm sure it's on here someplace, but The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks

I'd suggest just buying the paperback volumes, I believe they are up to volume 13 now. I say this because they look nice on your bookshelf. Volume 1

I cant find complete sets of Buffy season 8 but here are some links:

Frey

Angel: After the Fall These are the canon comics of Angel: After the Fall. They did continue but were renamed to just Angel and the first volume is called Immortality for Dummies But as i said, this is not canon and Joss is not connected to this, AFAIK.

Spike: After the Fall

Spike: The Complete Series

And here i just searched for Buffy season 8 on amazon, you should be able to find all 8 issues here.

As i said, i just recently started gathering info about these comics, and i ordered all of this myself 1 week ago, aswell as this, which i couldnt find on amazon.

Willow: Godessess and Monsters

And here I sit, waiting for all of my comics to get here.

For those interested, this looks very good...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Predator-Omnibus-1-v/dp/1593077327/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293759765&sr=1-2

The Ressurectionist might fit that bill.

https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Princess-Mr-Whiffle-Beneath/dp/0983613125
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L41DBzFGPw



This book that Patrick wrote has 3 layers and is acknowledged on Amazong.

https://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Patrick-Rothfuss/dp/0756404746/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MMN5Z9YJ2VVKRX53GGPV

This book has 3 major endings but Amazon has not realized it yet.

Layer 3, Layer 5 and Layer 7 each produce the exact same effect as the children's book.

In Fact the "Princess" may actually be Auri...

This graphic novel may interest you:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Zombie-Survival-Guide-Recorded/dp/030740577X
About "recorded" attacks through out history and how they were dealt with. A lot of empires/cultures I saw in these comments are in it.

The Adventures of the Princess and Mr Whiffle: The Thing Beneath The Bed?

Good book, just finishing my 3rd read through.

"Recorded Attacks" is coming out Oct 6
http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Recorded-Attacks/dp/030740577X/ref=pd_sim_b_5

It seems to be a graphic novel with the story by Max Brooks.

Not a traditional serial killer novel, but I thought of The Resurrectionist which just entranced me.

There is a children's story you should read it shows some character twists and Pat himself has said this story is important:

https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Princess-Mr-Whiffle-Beneath/dp/0983613125

Or listen to Pat read it to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L41DBzFGPw

It's cheaper on Amazon, http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1613773455?cache=6f9d576b7b0054ccabcde00eca7e1446&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1405243542&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Thank you!

​

"The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black" — https://www.amazon.com/Resurrectionist-Lost-Work-Spencer-Black/dp/1594746168

Here are the Amazon links for both: Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family, The Joker: Death of the Family. As DementiaPrime said, you only need the first one to get the full plot, but the second one adds some tie-ins to the story by other authors and sometimes focused on other characters.

Mr. Whiffle! https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Princess-Mr-Whiffle-Beneath/dp/0983613125

Batman Vampire

Captain America Vol 5 issues 1-14 are what the movie is based on.

Is that Winter Soldier OHC this one?

Captain America: Winter Soldier. It should be stocked up at most comic shops, because a new edition (and a variant for the edition) was printed for the sake of the movie.

this sea salt and this book

Practically I think that a stand alone is not that different from Volume 1 of a series so I would suggest Locke & Key Vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft.

If you are wedded to a stand alone I would suggest Revolver.

Is it this one ? https://www.amazon.com/Joker-Death-Family-New-52/dp/140124646X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518210185&sr=8-1&keywords=joker+death+of+the+family

Couldn't he also get the DotF tpb and the joker dotf books to cover everything in the arc?

Is this what you're looking for?
http://www.amazon.com/Joker-Death-Family-New-52/dp/140124646X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419747291&sr=1-3&keywords=batman+death+of+the+family

Just bought it myself, but check out Locke & Key, supposed to be Lovecraftian

or Batman: Vampire

I'm looking forward to getting this one.

http://thebeautyofhorror.com

Currently available on Amazon for a very reasonable price.

There is Recorded Attacks which I've been meaning to check out.

I guess it is my job to be the one to recommend Batwoman: Elegy and Batwoman New 52 Vols. 1-4.

Also Catwoman Vol 6: Keeper of the Castle (and Vol 7 when that gets released, as its the second part of Valentine's incredible run). If you plan on reading Batman Eternal it might spoil some stuff for you, but please love yourself and read this incredible run.

While we're sticking to Batfamily, Batgirl Vol 1-5 ("The Darkest Reflection" and up, since you're starting from the beginning of New 52). You can skip 3, as its Death Of The Family and you're probably going to end up buying the collected version which features every batfam member's tie-ins.

The whole Winter Soldier arc on Captain America (starting vol. 5). There's collected editions out on Amazon. They just released [this one] (http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Soldier-Ed-Brubaker/dp/0785187944/ref=pd_cp_b_0)

Also, no the movies aren't canon in terms of the comic book universe.

1. It's this one here. OHC is oversized hard cover. It's a little taller than most HCs, being the same height as most omnibi and deluxe editions. It collects Captain America #1-9 & 11-14.
   
2. The prices above don't include shipping, so I'd be taking almost a $10 loss if I did $20 shipped. I'm sorry but I can't.
   
3. I don't mind splitting up the run since you're wanting just the first few issues. It'll be $10+shipping for those 4.

I'd heard about this awesome book World War Z by Max Brooks and finally got around to reading it. I was hooked and wanted more. So a few weeks later I had gotten with a few writers and some local artists to make a graphic novel about what zombie outbreaks would look like throughout history starting in Mesopotamia all the way up through feudal japan to present day.


The week we did the first storyboarding, Max fucking Brooks released this

The Ressurectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black You can see a couple of said pictures Here.

The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black I gave this as a Secret Santa gift a few years ago and still deeply regret not keeping it for myself.

It goes deeper than that.

^ this made the top 7 stupidest attempts to reinvent Batman on cracked.com

Batman: Vampire

I, Vampire

American Vampire

X-Men vs Vampires

Captain Britain VS Vampires

Marvel Vampire Tales

Blade: Black & White

Blade: Blood and Chaos

Blade: Undead Again

Dr. Strange vs Dracula

Tomb of Dracula

Legion of Monsters

Bloodstone & TLOM

​

Yeah the main story is really good but the tie-in one is mediocre. Here's the Joker: Death of the Family I'm talking about: http://www.amazon.com/Joker-Death-Family-New-52/dp/140124646X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

there is another comic that goes with the long halloween and and dark victory, its called haunted knight http://amzn.com/1563892731

Trust me, this is how I wish people would have told me how to start.

To an outsider, comic books are difficult to delve into. There's so many series and you don't know how they fit into the overall timeline and you know you can't just jump into the middle. I get it :P

Let me go a step further and help you out. I'm going to link the "trade paperbacks" of each of these story arcs I listed. These are thicker books that combine the issues together, so you don't have to track down each issue individually.

• Court of Owls Volume One (Batman #1-#7)
  
  
• City of Owls Volume Two (Batman #8-#12)
  
  Then with the Death of the Family storyline, you can go of it two ways.
  
  You can stick to only Batman's involvement. So you'd collect these comics:
  
  
• Detective Comics #1
  
• Death of The Family (Batman #13-#17)
  
  Or you could get really deep into Joker.
  
  DC released a book that not only collected Detective Comics #1 and Batman #13-#17, but collected Joker's appearances in Nightwing, Robin, Suicide Squad, Batgirl and the rest of the whole damn family.
  
  The book puts all the comics in reading order and trust me, Joker is much more maniacal in the total story than the small amount of Batman comics. The things he does to Harley...Nightwing...ROBIN?! So good. But you wouldn't know unless you read it.
  
  So I recommend this. It's not for everyone, but it's a comprehensive tale that deserves to be read in entirety.
  
  
• The Joker: Death of the Family
  
  It's probably more-so a companion piece to the Death of the Family (Batman #13-#17) book, so if you consider going this route then I would still recommend reading the Batman-only arc first.
  
  Hope I helped more than confused!

Agreed. Dark Victory is sadly overlooked. Also are the three Halloween specials that Loeb and Sale did before The Long Halloween:

Batman: The Three Halloween Specials You Should Read

Collected in this trade: BATMAN: Haunted Knight

the walking dead?

http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dead-Days-Gone-Bye/dp/1582403589

New 52 Batman Trade Reading Order

• Batman, Vol. 4: Zero Year - Secret City
  
• DC Comics: Zero Year
  
• Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City
  
• Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls
  
• Batman: Night of the Owls
  
• Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls
  
• Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family
  
• The Joker: Death of the Family
  
• Batman Incorporated Vol. 1: Demon Star
  
• Batman Incorporated Vol. 2: Gotham's Most Wanted
  
• Batman Vol. 6: Graveyard Shift
  
• Batman Eternal Vol. 1
  
• Batman Eternal Vol. 2
  
• Arkham Manor
  
• Batman Eternal Vol. 3
  
• Batman Vol. 7: Endgame
  
• The Joker: Endgame
  
• Batman Vol. 8: Superheavy
  
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 8: Blood of Hereos
  
• Robin War
  
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 9: Gordon at War
  
• Batman Vol. 9: Bloom
  
• Batman Vol. 10: Epilogue

• Year One: Batman Scarecrow v. 1 HERE
  
• Year One: Batman Scarecrow v. 2 HERE
  
• Batman: Terror HERE
  
  Also, there are two sequels to The Long Halloween.
  
  
• Batman: Dark Knight HERE
  
• Batman: Haunted Victory HERE

Please, for the love of all that is amazing, read Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. I had to read it all the way through as fast as possible just so I could see what would happen, and I was terrified throughout. Really solid, creepy, wonderful writing.

And once you're done with that, read Horns, which has one of the greatest monologues in all of horror literature. I feel I should caution you that this book is not horror in the sense of being full of blood and guts and terror, but manages to build an atmosphere of horror at what people are willing to do right under the surface of their "normal" lives.

Ignore the fact that he's Stephen King's son, and then finally read all five volumes (the fifth comes out this month) of Locke & Key, which has some great terror and incredible storytelling. Also ignore the fact that this is a comic book, and I guarantee you will have a good time with it--and will rage and worry and freak out at the things that happen in it.

So, yeah, I don't read a lot of horror, but when I do, apparently it's all Joe Hill.